‘Scandal’ Recap: Mellie Grant Has Accepted That She Is Olivia Pope’s Puppet

Mellie Grant belongs to Olivia now.

Olivia Pope has literally lost her mind. Seriously, this time. The lure of power has skyrocketed her ego to beyond-Kanye levels, and tonight’s episode of Scandal underscores that in the opening scene. It starts with Liv is berating her father for bringing Fitz to town to try and shut her down. She tells him that it’s a privilege to talk to her and that she’s letting him be in her presence because she’s gracious, and that he needs to back off and tell Fitz to go home. Papa Pope is so terrified of what Olivia has become as the leader of command that he does exactly what she says.

Meanwhile, Mellie has announced that the US will go to Bashran to fight the Bashranian guerillas and reinstate President Rashad. For now, President Rashad and his niece are being holed up in the United States until further notice. However, Mellie’s poll numbers aren’t good because a majority of the people do not approve of the war. Jake and Olivia are working on the strategy, but Fitz has other plans for their B613 activities. Instead, he tells Mellie everything from the Luna Vargas murder to the fact that B613 exists. Mellie is obviously not happy about any of this and demands that Olivia shut down B6-13 and go about things the old fashion way–meaning, to legally get congressional approval for this war. Mellie says if she ever hears about B613 again she won’t be forgiving.

Y’all know Olivia takes orders from no one, but she makes Mellie believe that everything is all good. But we know that Olivia gets what she wants.

Cyrus tells Olivia that he doesn’t want the war, like most of America, and won’t cosign this. That’s when Olivia basically threatens him and tells him that not complying with her is an act of war. But Cyrus isn’t the only vote Olivia needs so she when realizes that the old fashion way isn’t going to work she is livid. She has to get her anger off somewhere, so she goes to Fitz to berate him too. She pretty much calls him pathetic and says it was easy to steal B613 from him. Again, her ego is out of control and she’s starting to prove Rowan Pope right.

President Rashad wants to go back to his home country, but Mellie begs him not to go. She doesn’t want him to die for obvious reasons. President Rashad believes that not returning means he will fail his people and also look like a coward. They finally have their moment where they kiss and almost get it poppin’, but Mellie stops it before it gets too heated.

Later on, Olivia asks Mellie what she wants, which is the one thing she hasn’t asked Mellie. Mellie’s response is that she wants the treaty, she wants the war and she wants President Rashad to stay alive, and she realizes that getting approval, you know, the old fashion way isn’t going to work. Once again, Olivia gets what she wants, especially when Mellie insinuates that Olivia should relaunch B613. Olivia reads between the lines (even the president isn’t supposed to know about B613) and tells her to consider it handled.

And it gets handled in the next scene. Mellie tells Rashad that she has arranged for him to fly into Turkey and then enter Bashran from there because it’s safer that way. She tells him that he will also return as president of Bashran, but she won’t tell him how she pulled it off. We don’t know exactly how either, but we also know what show this is and that nothing is ever this easy or clearcut.

Rashad tells her he will be back.

And that’s when we know his fate is sealed.

Rashad’s niece Yasmeen has to return with him because he feels it’s safest for her that way. She’s not happy about that at all. She has been living her best life in school in the US and with her girlfriend…gasp. However, Rashad claims things will be different for when they get back to Bashran.

Finally, Olivia crosses path with Fitz while leaving Mellie’s office and says, “I’m sorry it had to come to this.” Then he goes into Mellie’s office confused. But it makes sense when he crosses paths with a cold and distant Mellie. She tells him he needs to go home, that speaking to her is a privilege (basically parroting Olivia Pope like the puppet she is) and that he can communicate child visitation privileges through a third party that she has figured out. Fitz is stunned.